Some students worry that a major or minor in philosophy may not be very practical or useful when it comes to trying to find a job. That idea couldn’t be farther from the truth! Studies in philosophy prepare students well for a variety of careers or future studies.
Studying philosophy develops:
- The ability to think critically about complex and varied topics
- The ability to argue persuasively and logically
- The ability to ask the right questions when faced with new information or new situations
- The ability to communicate ideas effectively, both in speech and in writing
- The ability to present knowledge and arguments in an organized fashion
These skills are useful in any number of careers, and unlike some areas of study, the abilities gained as a philosophy major will continue to be useful even for individuals who pursue several different careers over the course of their lives. In addition, the philosophy program leaves plenty of room for a double major. Philosophy students often find that their philosophy classes complement other subjects well, enriching their understanding and appreciation of anything they study.
Philosophy majors from Saint Mary's College have gone on to careers in law, teaching, social work, business, writing, pastoral work, art, and many other fields. Saint Mary's philosophy graduates have also gone on to medical school and to graduate work in a wide variety of subjects.
If you're still not convinced that a major in philosophy can prepare you well for whatever you want to do in the future, take a look at these statistics:
- On the standardized test for law school, the LSAT, philosophy majors rank third highest in performance, after mathematics and economics majors.
- On the GMAT, the standardized test for graduate level business programs, philosophy majors score second only to mathematics majors.
- And philosophy majors rank highest on GRE verbal scores!